On this day in 1971, a casino burned, a band’s equipment was destroyed, and one of rock’s most recognizable guitar riffs was inspired… all thanks to an idiot with a flare gun.
The Casino de Montreux was a gambling hot spot on the Lake Geneva shore that hosted concerts regularly in part of its massive multi-building complex. Jet-setters and vacationers from all over the European continent flocked to the hotspot, eager to take a chance, risk it all and have fun doing it. The stakes ended up being higher than anyone could imagine. Home of the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival, the casino saw many a legend pass through its doors, though the last one left in a hurry.
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention were onstage at the Casino de Montreux when a member of the crowd set off a flare, indoors, endangering all in attendance. After making an announcement to the crowd to clear the room, the band quickly exited the stage, abandoning their instruments and gear in the name of saving their skins. Once the tongues of fire started to lick as high as the ceiling, the building was quickly consumed.
The city fire services fought the blaze and managed to keep it from spreading beyond the complex. Montreux Jazz Festival promoter Claude Nobs, on hand, joined in on the efforts to make sure the building was clear of fans and staff. Hundreds of employees could only watch as their livelihood vanished in the conflagration. It was fortunate that the fire occurred so late in the year, as the last of the tourists had either headed to warmer climbs or returned home ahead of the incident.
This was the start of a particularly bad week for Zappa, as just over a week later he was pushed off the stage in London, causing him to fall to the concrete floor of the orchestra pit. Zappa was grievously injured, with a number of broken bones and soft tissue injuries that resulted in his not taking the stage for the next six months.
The members of Deep Purple were affected as well, though not physically. The Mothers Of Invention’s show was to be the last before the casino’s annual winter shut down for cleaning and preparation for the coming spring tourist season. Deep Purple had rented out part of the casino complex, as well as the Rolling Stones’ pricey private mobile recording studio, to hunker down and record their newest album. With the casino no longer an option and the clock ticking on their rental gear, the band scrambled to find a new location.
Trouble with the locals kept them searching, while one member, Roger Glover, began to conceive of a song based on the events of the fire and the view he and the band had of the fire from their hotel rooms. Due to the casino’s proximity to the lake, billows of ash and smoke had rolled across the heated waters while the orange plumes of flame lit the skies for miles around. Legend has it Glover woke up a few days later with the title, “Smoke On The Water,” around which singer Ian Gillan wrote the lyrics, essentially a retelling of the story of the fire.
The song’s simple, arresting guitar riff has become one of rock’s most instantly recognizable, and a source of derision among some purists due to its simplistic nature. Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore has long defended the jam, noting that it’s not what notes you play, it’s what you say with them. The song became the biggest single of the album, Machine Head, and the biggest of Deep Purple’s career. It also won them a spot in the hearts of the residents of Montreux, who erected a plaque near the location of the blaze.
The casino was rebuilt and went on to host numerous Jazz Fest shows until more recently, when a convention center was opened and eventually absorbed the festival. Deep Purple dedicated the Machine Head album to Nobs, honoring his bravery the night of the fire. The casino, however, is still open and hosts the occasional show for area residents and tourists alike. Patrons are all gambling that lightning, or in this case flare guns, doesn’t strike twice.
Finally, here’s “Smoke On The Water,” a song that shows that even out of the worst of circumstances, art can be made.
“Deep Purple” Live
[Video: deeppurpleos]